Red Button

Two people are locked in a room with a possibly life threatening choice.

 

Lights fill an empty white room. There is a round white table with a red button in the center. Three inches from the button lay a silver .38 revolver. Four feet from the table is a closed white door. On the floor two people laid silently asleep. One on the right side of the table, he lay closer to the door. A woman laid on the other side of the table. Both wore white shirt and pants. On the floor were three silver inch circles that covered the whole floor, the man and woman slept soundlessly. Until a loud buzz sound woke them from there slumber. “What the f**k!?” yelled the man. He scurried to his feet in a panic, looking around. “where am I?” The woman sat up slowly. She opened her eyes to realize she too was not where she was last night. “What’s going?” “Where am!?” The woman stood up she made eye contact with the man. “Who are you?” she asked. “were am I?” “I was just about to ask you the same thing!” The man barked back. “I was at home watching the game drinking on beer Now I’m here.” The woman looked around the room, fear painted on her face. “So you don’t know anything either?” The man asked. The woman shook her head. “I went to bed early last night.” She said. “This doesn’t make any sense.” The man said. He looked at the table noticing a gun and the red button. “What are those for?” He asked. The women stared at the gun and red button. “I don’t know and I don’t care.” “I’m getting out of here.” The woman ran for the door, twisting and turning the lock but the door would not open.

 

“Why won’t it open!?” She yelled. The woman began banging on the door, “Let me out of here! She yelled. After slamming the hard door for two minutes, she finally realized the door would not open. She slid to the ground staring down at the floor. The man analyzed the table, staring at the gun and red button. “What the hell is going on” he said under his breathe. He turned his attention back on the woman, who sat under the door with her head down. “Whatever this is she has nothing to do with it.” He thought. “so, what’s your name?” the man asked. The woman held her head up, looking at the man with a skeptical expression, for all she knows he is the reason why she is in her current predicament. “ka... Karen” she said. “Hey Karen my name is Frank.” Frank slowly stepped toward Karen. Karen jumped up instantly. “stay back! Don’t come near me!” she yelled. Frank stopped moving. “whoa Karen I’m not gonna hurt you I just want to talk.” Karen looked frank up and down. They both are dressed in all white, she didn’t know about frank but she defiantly knew she was not wearing white clothes last night.

Last night Karen had on a long red t-shirt that came down to her knees with plaid boxer shorts underneath. “What were you wearing last night?” She asked. “excuse me?” Frank said. “What were you wearing last night?” Karen repeated.

“I wore brown cargo shorts, with a white tank top. I also was on my six or seventh bush Ice, and screaming at my t.v hoping that the falcons got their head in the game.” As she looked at Frank he seemed sincere. He even had a little fear in his eyes, like he too did not know what was going on. Frank pulled on his white shirt. “I defiantly was not wearing this” he said. Karen stepped from the door she walked closer to Frank. “ I was not wearing this either, which means someone changed our clothes.” She said. “Not only that they kidnapped us and stuck us in here.” Frank said. Karen shuttered from the thought. “Why would someone do this?” she asked. “I don’t know.” Frank responded. He looked around the room and noticed an intercom in the center of the ceiling, there was also a camera in the corner of the room. “Their watching us.” Frank said. Karen stared at the camera with Frank. “Hey! What do yall want from us!?” Karen yelled. They waited for a response. No voice was heard from the intercom. “Let us out of here! Hey!” Karen continued to yell at the intercom, When no one replied. She became enraged and started cursing at the intercom. She even made a few blank threats. “Please stop yelling my ears are starting to hurt.” Frank said. “Well what else are we supposed to do? The door is locked.” Frank pointed at the table. “you see that gun? It’s been bugging me.” He said. Karen looked at the table, “yeah I been wondering about that myself and the red button what is that for?” She asked.

 

Frank walked to the table. “What are you doing?” Karen asked. “I’m checking to see if this pistol is loaded.” Frank picked up the .38 revolver he checked the barrel, only one bullet was placed inside. Frank looked at Karen. “It has a bullet in it.” He said. “Really they left us in here with a weapon?” Karen asked. Frank analyzed the revolver, flipping it from side to side. He then looked at the door. “Stand back Karen I’m going to shoot the door handle off.” He said. “Are you crazy?” Karen replied. “Look at these walls if you shoot and miss that bullet is going to ricochet! I shouldn’t have to say what would happen next.” Frank nodded his head in agreement. “Your right plus that door handle looks pretty sturdy, It would probably take a couple of shots to even damage it.” Frank looked around the small white room. “So, what do we do? I see no other way out.” He said. Karen had her eyes fixed on the red button. “What if that’s the way out.” Karen said pointing at the red button. They both hovered over the table examining the red button.

“what do you think?” Frank asked. “You want to give it a try?” Karen took a deep breath. “I do but what if that’s not what it’s for.” She said. “What else could it be for?” Frank asked. Karen looked at the floor. “You see these small holes there everywhere, I noticed them earlier but didn’t think much of it at the time.” She said. “So, what are you thinking?” Frank asked. “It’s going to sound a little crazy but hell this whole situation is crazy.” She said. “Just say it.” Frank replied. Karen sighed. “What if this room is filled with lethal gas as soon as we press the red button.” Frank bent down to examine the holes. The gun was placed back on the table. “Your theory is a little farfetched, why would someone go through all this trouble just to kill us?” He asked. Karen shook her head. “I don’t know, but I see stuff like this on the movies all the time, you press the red button and something bad happens.” She said. Frank chuckled under his breath. “are you really basing our situation off a movie?” He asked. “ No... well yeah, I mean partially!” She said.

 

Frank stood back up looking at Karen. “Don’t look at me like that.” Karen said. “Like what?” Frank asked. “Like I’m Crazy! You know well as I do that if you push the red button the f*****g world ends! Franks chuckle turned into a laugh. Karen rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “look Karen this is obviously some type of test hints the camera and intercom. “If we press the button the door will probably unlock and we can find out what the hell is going on.” “and what if it doesn’t?” Karen asked. “What if it was what I said and we die!” Karen’s voice was louder than what she intended for it to be. Frank scratched the center of his forehead. “ok so you think we will die when we press the red button?” he said.  “It’s a possibility.” Karen said. Frank nodded his head. “Yes, I suppose, but listen do you see any other way out? Another door or button perhaps?” Frank waits for a response, Karen says nothing so Frank continues.

 

“How else will we get out of here? Wait for them to open the door?” Frank looks at the intercom. “Hello crazy people that put us in here. Could you please open the door and let us go please?” Frank waits for a response. After thirty seconds of silence he turns his attention back to Karen. “See! We have to make this decision ourselves.” Karen stares at the red button, Then at the gun. In an instant Karen snatched the gun off the table. Karen’s action startled Frank. “Hey what are you doing with that?” He asked. “Relax I’m just checking it out.” Karen stared at the revolver as if it were a new discover. Frank slowly took steps in Karen’s direction.

She noticed him moving closer, then without another thought she raised the .38 at franks chest.

Frank raised his arms in the air. “whoa! whoa! What are you doing?” Frank asked. Karen said nothing she held the revolver firmly with two hands pointing it directly at Franks chest. “Are you crazy!? Put that down before you get us killed!” Frank demanded. Several thoughts went through Karen’s mind but none of them advised her to lay down the weapon. “Shut up!” She yelled. Frank shut his mouth sweat begin to form on his face. “I figured it out.” Karen said with the revolver shaking in her hands. Frank hesitates to open his mouth. “figure what out?” He asked. “How to get out of here.” Karen replied. “OK uh... put down the gun and tell me what you figured out.” He said. Karen shook her head. “you still don’t get it, do you? One of us has to die.” Karen said coldly. Franks eyes opened wide. He took a step towards Karen. Karen raised the revolver to franks head. “Take another step and you die now!” She yelled. “Karen this is crazy why do you think I have to die?” Karen held both hands tightly around the handle, not taking her eyes of Frank. “It’s what they want, look around no way out just us two in a locked room with a gun and a button, which would have killed us both if we pressed it!”

 

Frank shook his head rapidly. “ This is crazy! Do you hear yourself?” Frank shouted. “Shut up!” Karen interrupted, “I wasn’t done, If there was no gun and only the button was in the room, I still would have been skeptical but since there would have been no other way out. We would’ve had no choice but to press it, or die of starvation.” Frank looked Karen in her eyes, he saw how serious she was. Karen continued her rant. “The gun answered all my questions there is only one bullet in it!  and those cameras, they want to see if we would be stupid enough to kill ourselves or have the guts to kill a stranger and walk out of here Freely!” Frank shook his head slowly. “your wrong Karen you got it all wrong.” He said.

 

“I’m sorry Frank but I have two kids at home that are probably scared to death wondering where their mommy is.” Tears ran down Franks face. “Don’t do this I also have a little boy.” He said. A tear fell from Karen’s eye now, she shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry frank I’m so sorry.” Frank lunged at Karen he was only a few inches away, but his action was not quick enough. Karen stepped back and fired. Frank collapsed on the floor, blood rushed from the hole in his head, giving the white floor a new color. Karen stood shaking and breathing rapidly. After a minute, has passed, she laid her eyes on franks corpse. “I’m so sorry.” Karen said with tears falling down her cheeks, she flopped on the blood-stained floor. “There was no other way! I had to!” she yelled.

Karen stood back up and ran towards the door. She twisted the nob with confidence, then in a flash her confidence was gone. The door did not budge, she twisted the nob over and over then began to hit on it out of frustration. “Why won’t you open!? I did what yall wanted right!? Karen yelled. No response was given only Karen’s heavy breathing could be heard. “Oh, no I made a terrible mistake, there not gonna let me out now they never were.” Karen concluded. She dropped back on the floor, her head down and tears falling on the floor. There she laid for what seemed like an eternity, her stomach began to growl. “ This is so cruel! She yelled.

 

“So, that’s it? You kidnap two people, lock them in a room and give them the option of dying by the gun or cough their lungs out from the gas!? O wait… you can also sit here and starve to death!” Karen screamed. She looked at Franks corpse the blood oozing from his head had covered most of the floor. " I am so sorry." “I can’t take this anymore! Kids mommy loves you always!.” Karen stood over the red button. She took three big breaths then slammed her hand on the button. “A buzz sound echoed through the room. Karen’s body was stiff as a stick. Then the door swung open, revealing a dimly lit hallway. “I can’t believe it.” She said. The red button opens the door.

Author's Note

I need some feedback on the dialogue in this story.

Reviews

[Irishlass]

I liked the tension it kept me reading to find out what the two items were for and their use.
The characters dialogue was good and helped build the tension.
I think you could take this story further and use this scene as maybe the main plot of the story.
Use back story to bring the man's part into it and take it from here with regard to the story future.,
How does it affect her and her family, why was she targeted, is it in relation to her job, does she hold the key to a past mystery without realising it, did she witness something she shouldnt have?
Was the man just a patsy & he was supposed to kill her or was he part of the previous incident?
Play around with it see what you can come up with. Sounds like good bones to build on to me.

[Rasheem]

Thank you so much! Im thinking the same Frank and Karen defiantly need a back story

[Rye]

I think it's great, even though I don't make a good critique I enjoyed the imagery and descriptive, it is very clear, enjoyable characters as well. nicely done in my opinion

[Rasheem]

I wasn't sure if my first review would be a positive one or negative. Thank you so much!